The City of Stockton is one of California's fastest growing communities. Stockton is currently the 13th largest city in California with a dynamic, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural population of over 280,000. Stockton offers an excellent quality of life for its residents. The City has a number of beautiful residential communities along waterways, with single-family homes costing about one-third the price of homes in the Bay Area. Stockton also has outstanding recreational opportunities. Stockton is within close proximity to world famous scenic attractions including the California Coast, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. The community offers many local recreational opportunities such as professional sports teams , an olympic size ice rink, and the Delta, which provides thousands of miles of waterways for water skiing, sailing and other water activities. There are also many opportunities to enjoy music, theater, dance, literary events, and other cultural and entertainment activities throughout the year. The City has its own symphony and opera company and hosts the popular Asparagus Festival annually.The City is home to several well known higher educational institutions including the University of the Pacific, California State University Stanislaus-Stockton, San Joaquin Delta Community College, Humphreys College and School of Law, as well as a variety of private and vocational schools.